The main idea of the project is to study wild and introduce populations of Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii for SNP genotyping. Resistant genotypes to bacterial fire blight, apple scab, and powdery mildew will be selected to create an in vitro collection of valuable genotypes.
Kazakhstan is an important center of origin of wild apple. Among the endangered species, Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii are of particular importance, included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and the International Red List. The project aims to create an in vitro collection of Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii resistant to diseases. Using SNP genotyping, genetic diversity will be assessed, and resistant genotypes will be identified.
The aim of the study is to create an in vitro collection of endangered species Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii, resistant to diseases, for the conservation of biodiversity.
Wild and introduced populations of Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii will be identified and collected. Plant material from Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii genotypes will be collected. Geographical coordinates and locations of wild and introduced populations will be recorded and described. The DNA extraction protocol will be optimized, and a DNA bank of samples from wild and introduced populations for SNP genotyping will be created. The DNA bank will consist of at least 96 samples.
SNP genotyping of wild and introduced populations of Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii species will be conducted on no less than 480K markers. Promising genotypes containing resistance alleles to bacterial fire blight, scab, and powdery mildew will be selected based on the results of SNP genotyping. The genetic diversity of each wild and introduced population of Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii will be studied, and the level of heterozygosity will be determined based on markers associated with resistance to biotic and abiotic factors.
10 promising genotypes of Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii resistant to bacterial fire blight, scab, and powdery mildew will be introduced into in vitro culture. Conditions for micropropagation of the selected genotypes will be optimized. Conditions for slow-growthstorage of the selected genotypes will be optimized. An in vitro collection of 10 genotypes (1,300 samples) of Malus niedzwetzkyana and Malus sieversii species resistant to bacterial fire blight, scab, and powdery mildew will be created to preserve the biodiversity of Kazakhstan.
– Aidana Nurtaza, PhD, H-index – 4. https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri? authorId=56016939200 https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-6796-5136
Almagul Apsalamovna Kakimzhanova, Head of the Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology and Breeding, Doctor of Biological Sciences. She has extensive experience in plant biotechnology, breeding, and molecular biology. Hirsch Index: 4 (https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56031411400). http://www.researcherid.com/rid/I-3841-2017, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7797-6867
Asel Kairatovna Yesimseitova, MSc in Biology, Research Scientist. Author of 25 scientific papers, including 3 articles in high–impact factor international peer-reviewed journals and 7 articles in journals recommended by the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education (MES RK). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5428-1915
Zhanargul Toktamysovna Zhanybekova, MSc (Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Finland), MSc in Science and Technology (Unilasalle Polytechnic Institute, France). Junior Researcher at the Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology and Breeding, National Center for Biotechnology. Specialist in plant breeding and molecular biology. She has 8 years of project-related experience under MES RK grants and a Commercialization Grant. Author of 10 scientific publications. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3768-5114
Damira Adilevna Dyussembekova, PhD student, Research Scientist. Co-author of 11 publications, including papers in peer-reviewed journals indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, and one patent. Completed a research internship at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1621-0577
Symbat Sultanovna Islamova, PhD student, Junior Researcher. Specialist in plant biotechnology and molecular biology. Has experience in establishing plant collections under medium-term storage conditions. Author of 4 publications.
Indira Nurymovna Samatova, PhD student, Junior Researcher. Specialist in plant biotechnology and molecular biology. Has practical experience in microclonal propagation of woody plant species. Author of 3 publications.
During the reporting period, field surveys were conducted in the “Zhongar-Alatau” National Park, “Tarbagatai” National Park, and the city of Astana. A total of 17 populations were identified and described; 178 individual trees were recorded, and 173 plant samples were collected. Geographic coordinates and ecological characteristics of each sampling site were documented. The CTAB-based DNA extraction protocol was optimized, ensuring the isolation of high-quality DNA suitable for SNP genotyping. As a result, DNA was extracted from all 178 samples in three replicates, quality-checked, and a DNA bank consisting of 534 samples was established.